Takemitsu, Toru : Rain Tree Sketch II, In Memoriam Olivier Messiaen
Work Overview
First Publisher：Schott
Instrumentation：Piano Solo
Genre：character pieces
Total Playing Time：5 min 00 sec
Copyright：Under Copyright Protection
Additional Notes：ピアニスト八坂公洋氏によるCD録音はこちら(「くすんだ緑と墓石の子守唄」収録) http://ml.naxos.jp/album/NARC-2105
Commentary (2)
Author : Sudoh, Eiko
Last Updated: April 24, 2018
[Open]
Author : Sudoh, Eiko
《Rain Tree Sketch II – In Memoriam Olivier Messiaen》 is Takemitsu's last piano solo piece, composed in 1992. It was written in memory of Messiaen, who had influenced Takemitsu since his youth, for a memorial concert held at the Orléans International Music Festival in France. Like 《Rain Tree Sketch》, composed ten years earlier, it was inspired by "The Clever Rain Tree," a short story by his close friend, the writer Kenzaburo Oe.
The piece has an A-B-A form. Following the opening section, marked "Tempo I" and beginning in the high register, a "Tempo II" section emerges with a sense of stagnation, incorporating the low register. Subsequently, the middle section, marked "Joyful," is reached by alternating between both tempos. There, a dreamlike, beautiful melody is layered in a canonic fashion. Finally, the opening section returns, and the piece concludes amidst profound sonorities. By meticulously expressing the detailed tempo indications and dynamic markings, and by listening attentively to the resonance of the sounds, one can embody the unique "sea of sound" characteristic of Takemitsu's works.
Author : Sudoh, Eiko
Last Updated: April 24, 2018
[Open]
Author : Sudoh, Eiko
“Rain Tree Sketch II —In Memoriam Olivier Messiaen—” (1992) is the last solo piano piece composed by Tōru Takemitsu. He remembered Olivier Messiaen, whom he had been influenced since his youth, and composed this song for the memorial concert for Messiaen held at the Orleans International Music Festival in France. Like “Rain Tree Sketch”, which was composed ten years before, this piece is inspired by the short stories “Atama no ii, Ame no Ki (The Clever Rain Tree)” by Kenzaburo Oe, a famous Japanese writer.
The song is written in ternary form. Following the opening, which is marked as Tempo I and played in high tones, the part of Tempo II is played somberly in low tones. After that, you reach the middle section marked “Joyful” while traversing both tempos. There, the beautiful dreamy melodies are superimposed in Canon style. At the end, the melody heard in the beginning returns, and the song is closing in deep resonance. You can express the sea of tonality unique to Takemitsu’s later works by carefully representing indications about Tempo and dynamic while you listen to the reverberation of the sounds.
